News archive (2017 - 04)

From April 3 to 9 NATO fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states were not scrambled to intercept military aircraft of the Russian Federation in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.

On April 10 Minister of National Defence Raimondas Karoblis and Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas will meet with Minister of Defence and Chief of Defence of the Netherlands, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and General Tom Middendorp respectively, who are coming for a visit to Lithuania.

“With regard to security challenges in today’s world which are not conventional only, resilience to propaganda and consciousness of the society have to be strengthened. There are many challenges and they require multifold response,” Minister of National Defence Raimundas Karoblis said at the 10th Kyiv Security Forum, session on New Reality of the Security Situation: Work Towards Stability on April 6.

On April 7 a deployment ceremony was held for two soldiers of Vytenis Main Logistic Support Battalion in Marijampolė to the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission (RSM) in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The soldiers will serve in the 17th rotation of the National Support Element (NSE-17).

On April 7 Vice Minister of National Defence Giedrimas Jeglinskas met with Ambassador of the Republic of France in Lithuania HE Philippe Jeantaud. Both countries’ representatives expressed appreciation of the successful defence cooperation of Lithuania and France.

On April 5-6 Minister of National Defence Raimundas Karoblis will conduct a visit in Ukraine in Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis’ delegation and attend the 10th Kiev Security Forum.

Minister R.Karoblis will take part in a bilateral meeting with Ukraine’s Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, and a meeting with the Baltic states’ Prime Ministers and President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.

On April 3-7 LNS Kuršis (M54) and LNS Aukštaitis (P14) are training in the first manoeuvres of the Baltic Naval Squadron BALTRON in the territorial waters and exclusive economic zone of Latvia in the Baltic Sea this year. Mine clearance and maritime operations Exercise SQUADEX 17-1 trans Lithuanian and Latvian crews coordinated actions according to various scenarios.

Lithuania is increasing contribution to the European Union-led military operations and missions. On April 4 the first Lithuania’s representative was deployed to the European Union Training Mission in the Central African Republic (EUTM RCA). Staff officer of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytenis Main Support Logistics Battalion will serve in the capital of the CAR, Bangui, until October as forward logistic support groups commander.

“Russia is becoming a conventional threat to the EU and NATO. According to our estimations, sovereignty is not something given for granted in the context of the changing security situation, therefore Europe needs a leader capable of consolidating the needs of all countries and to ensure security throughout the region,” Minister of National Defence Raimundas Karoblis said at a meeting in Lithuania with Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Ministry of Defence Markus Grübel on April 4.